This invention relates to wallets. More particular but not exclusively to wallets for use in surgical theatres, for the safe disposal of sharp implements. Such wallets are generally known as discard wallets.
Current discard wallets comprise A layer of soft resilient material on a backing layer capable of being folded over on itself and having a layer of adhesive along one face. The wallet can be closed to secure any sharp implements within the soft material.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a wallet for the safe disposal of sharp implements, the wallet comprising a closeable cover member, and an implement receiving means on the cover member to receive at least one sharp implement, wherein when one or more sharp implements are received in the receiving means, the cover member can be closed over the receiving means to hold the implements in the wallet.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a wallet for the safe disposal of a sharp implement, the wallet comprising a closeable cover member, and an implement receiving means on the cover member to receive at least one sharp implement, wherein when at least one sharp implement is received in the receiving means, the cover member can be closed over the receiving means to hold the implement in the wallet, the cover member comprising first and second portions, at least the first portion defining a recess in which the implement receiving means is arranged.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a wallet for the safe disposal of a sharp implement, the wallet comprising a closeable cover member, and an implement receiving means on the cover member to receive at least one sharp implement, wherein when the sharp implement is received in the receiving means, the rover member can be closed over the receiving means to hold the implement in the wallet, the cover member comprising first and second portions and each portion of the cover member comprising an inner and an outer part, the outer part comprising a flange, and the flange of the first portion being adapted to engage the flange of the second portion when the cover member is in the closed condition.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a wallet for the safe disposal of a sharp implement, the wallet comprising a closeable cover member, and an implement receiving means on the cover member to receive at least one sharp implement, wherein when the sharp implement is received in the receiving means, the cover member can be closed over the receiving means to hold the implements in the wallet, the cover member comprising two portions connected to each other by a hinge member which extends outwardly from the cover member allowing the first portion to be folded relative to the second portion such that they lie substantially in face to face contact with each other in the closed position.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a wallet for the safe disposal of a sharp implement, the wallet comprising a closeable cover member formed of a generally rigid material, and an implement receiving means on the cover member to receive at least one sharp implement, wherein when the sharp implement is received in the receiving means, the cover member can be closed over the receiving means to hold the implements in the wallet.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a wallet for the safe disposal of a sharp implement, the wallet comprising a closeable cover member, and an implement receiving means on the cover member to receive at least one sharp implement, wherein when the sharp implement is received in the receiving means, the cover member can be closed over the receiving means to hold the implements in the wallet, the cover member comprising first and second portions, the implement receiving means being provided on the first portion and a part of the second portion arranged over the implement receiving means when the cover member is in the closed position being formed of a transparent material.
Preferably the cover member comprises first and second portions, each having an inwardly facing surface. At least the first portion may have a recess defined by the surface. The implement receiving means may be arranged in the recess in the first portion. Preferably the second portion defines a recess, the recess in the second portion providing a space for the implements to be received in the implement receiving means.
Preferably, each portion of the cover member comprises an inner part and an outer part, The inner part may define the recess. The outer part may be a flange. Preferably the flange of the first portion can engage the flange of the second portion when the cover member is in the closed condition. Tie flanges of the first and second portions may lie in substantially face to face engagement with each other when the cover member is in the closed position.
Preferably, there is a hinge means between the first and second portions. In one embodiment the hinge means comprises a hinge member which may extend outwardly from the first and second portions to allow the first and second portions to be arranged in said face to face engagement in the closed position.
In another embodiment, the hinge means comprises a region between the first and second portions defining a slit therein. The slit may be curved and may comprise substantially a semi-circle. The slit may have a curved central region and oppositely outwardly extending end regions. The end regions may extend along a line delimiting the first and second portions of the cover member.
In this other embodiment, the hinge means may include a plurality of said slits, conveniently three of said slits, which may extend one after the other along said region. The, or each, slit may be so defined by said region that, when the cover member is closed, the, or each, curved region extends outwardly therefrom, preferably, generally in the plan of the first or second, cover member.
Preferably the cover member is made of a rigid material, which may be a rigid plastics material. Preferably a part of the second portion, which is arranged over the implement receiving means when the cover member is in the closed condition, is transparent. Most preferably, substantially the whole of the cover member made of a transparent material. An example of a suitable plastics material is polyterephthalic diol-ester.
The implement receiving means may be formed of a resilient material which may be a foam material, for example a polyolefine foam, which may be a cross-liked polyolefine foam. The implement receiving means preferably comprises a pad of foam material.
Securing means may be provided to secure the wallet to a support, for example a table or bench. The securing means may comprise adhesive means to enable the wallet to be adhered to the support. The adhesive means may comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive which may be in the form of an adhesive tape, conveniently, a double-sided adhesive tape.
Preferably the first portion of the cover member may have a layer of adhesive covering at least part of its inwardly facing surface. The adhesive may be a pressure sensitive adhesive, which may be provided in the form of a tape, suitably a double sided tape.
A typical adhesive tape suitable for use with the preferred embodiments of this invention comprises a flexible substrate having a first and second faces and an adhesive material applied to the first and second faces. A release member, which may be a flexible sheet to which the adhesive does not permanently adheres may be applied to each respective face.
The wallet may be a discard wallet.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described for the purpose of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: